What Is the EU Central DPP Registry
Article 12 of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, 2024/1781) mandates the creation of an EU-wide central registry for Digital Product Passports. The registry launches on July 19, 2026 — eight months before battery passports become mandatory.
The registry operates as a directory, not a data warehouse. It stores product identifiers (GS1 Digital Link URIs) and maps them to the URLs where the actual passport data is hosted. When a market surveillance authority, customs officer, or authorised user queries the registry with a product identifier, the registry returns the location of the corresponding DPP data.
Technical Architecture
Based on the preliminary technical specifications published by the Commission:
- API-based registration — Economic operators (or their DPP platforms) register each passport by submitting the GS1 Digital Link URI, product category code, operator EORI number, and the URL where the passport data is hosted
- RESTful query interface — Market surveillance authorities and other authorised parties can query the registry by product identifier, EORI number, or product category
- Access control tiers — Different data elements are accessible to different stakeholder groups: consumers see sustainability data, recyclers see end-of-life data, and market surveillance authorities see full regulatory compliance data
- Uptime SLA — The registry targets 99.5% availability, and passport data hosts (manufacturers or platforms) are expected to maintain equivalent uptime
What This Means for Manufacturers
In most cases, manufacturers will not interact with the registry directly. Your DPP platform handles the registration API call automatically when you publish a passport. However, you need to ensure three things:
- Your chosen DPP platform explicitly supports EU Central Registry integration
- Your EORI number is active and correctly configured in your DPP account
- Your passport data is hosted on infrastructure that meets the registry uptime requirements
Timeline
July 19, 2026 is the registry go-live date. From that point, voluntary passport registration is possible. Battery passport registration becomes mandatory from February 18, 2027. As subsequent ESPR delegated acts come into force for textiles, tyres, electronics, and other product categories, those passports will also be required to register with the central system.